Thomas K Stone

US Patent:

59993707, Dec 7, 1999

Filed:

Feb 21, 1992

Appl. No.:

7/839870

Inventors:

Thomas R. Stone - San Francisco CA
David W. Foster - Los Altos CA

Assignee:

Quantum Corporation - Milpitas CA

International Classification:

G11B 554

US Classification:

360105

Abstract:

An aerodynamically powered release latch mechanism is provided for a fixed disk drive. A disk clamp for clamping a single data storage disk to a spindle hub comprises a centrifugal airflow pumping structure, such as radially and axially extending, generally L-shaped turboblades, for increasing the level of a vane deflecting airflow as the disk rotates. The vane deflecting airflow releases an aerodynamically released actuator latch mechanism.

US Patent:

56686838, Sep 16, 1997

Filed:

May 7, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/646410

Inventors:

Thomas R. Stone - San Francisco CA

Assignee:

Quantum Corporation - Milpitas CA

International Classification:

G11B 554

US Classification:

360105

Abstract:

An airlock latch assembly for restraining a disk drive actuator when the disk is not spinning and the disk drive is subjected to a rotational shock force includes a latch member meshably engaged with a counter inertia member by gear teeth provided on each member. The latch member and the counter inertia member are each characterized by a moment of inertia, the ratio of which is determined by the gear ratio of the respective gear teeth. The latch assembly also restrains the actuator in its proper position when the disk drive is subject to linear shock forces.

US Patent:

44523297, Jun 5, 1984

Filed:

Dec 13, 1982

Appl. No.:

6/449265

Inventors:

Thomas R. Stone - Hayward CA
Roger P. Penzotti - Livermore CA

Assignee:

Paccar Inc. - Bellevue WA

International Classification:

B62D 2700

US Classification:

180 8915

Abstract:

A tilt-cab truck with the cab independently suspended on the main frame. A power device for tilting is connected to the cab and the frame at pivots spaced away from the main cab pivot. On each side of the truck a front suspension bell crank is pivoted to the cab by a main pivot and has an arm extending substantially horizontally back to a pivotal connected to the main frame, with a crank arm extending down from the rear and bearing on one end of a horizontal front air spring that is secured to the main frame at its other end. A leveling valve assembly for maintaining cab height relative to the frame is connected to the front air springs and to a source of air pressure. An anti-roll structure is rigidly connected at each end to the bell crank and extends down below it and then laterally across to the other side of the truck. A pair of lower latch assemblies are each secured to the main frame near the rear of the cab, and a pair of upper latch assemblies are each releasably secured to a lower latch assembly. A pair of horizontal rear links are each pivotally connected at a forward end to the cab and at a rear end to an upper latch assembly, and a pair of rear air springs are each mounted on an upper latch assembly with an upper end bearing against the cab.

US Patent:

42793211, Jul 21, 1981

Filed:

Jan 9, 1980

Appl. No.:

6/110680

Inventors:

Thomas R. Stone - Hayward CA

Assignee:

PACCAR Inc - Bellevue WA

International Classification:

B62D 2706

US Classification:

180 8914

Abstract:

A mounting and latching system for a cab-over-engine type truck, wherein the cab is pivotal about an axis at the front of the cab and frame, includes mounting devices at the left and right, at the rear of the cab. Each frame-attached mount has two angled surfaces for receiving complementarily shaped cab-attached mounts and centering the cab's rear on the frame, in normal operation. When the truck frame twists due to unevenness of the surface over which the truck is moving, the cab above remains substantially undeformed with one rear mount continuing to bear against the frame surface and the other separated from the frame. The latching system maintains the cab's rear latch at both mounts even during such movement, by means of a spring biased pivoted hook which is permitted considerable movement. Latching and unlatching, for tilting of the cab, are accomplished via a hydraulic arrangement by which the latching hook is automatically articulated in several directions to cause unlatching and swinging away of the hook so that the cab rear can be lifted. The hydraulics of the latch are preferably tied into a hydraulic cab tilt system, so that when hydraulic pressure is applied by the operator, the latches first disengage, then the cab lifts, and the reverse when the cab is lowered back to the frame.

US Patent:

41321430, Jan 2, 1979

Filed:

Jan 6, 1977

Appl. No.:

5/757427

Inventors:

Thomas D. Stone - Novato CA

Assignee:

Intonation Systems - Fairfield IA

International Classification:

G10D 306

US Classification:

84314

Abstract:

A fretted stringed musical instrument with a readily removable fingerboard to enable performance of musical compositions written in different tonal scales by removing a fingerboard having fret placement in accordance with one tonal scale, e. g. equal tempered scale, and installing another fingerboard having fret placement in accordance with a different tonal scale, e. g. just intonation scale. Several alternate arrangements permit a given fingerboard to be quickly installed or removed without removing or slackening the strings so that fingerboards may be exchanged in the course of a concert to permit performance of musical pieces from several tonal systems on a single basic instrument.

US Patent:

56472552, Jul 15, 1997

Filed:

Sep 27, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/534428

Inventors:

Thomas R. Stone - San Francisco CA

Assignee:

Quantum Corporation - Milpitas CA

International Classification:

B26D 118

US Classification:

83 19

Abstract:

An expandable gasket for a head disk assembly, wherein the gasket is initially formed having a geometry that maximizes the number of gaskets realized per sheet of material used. The gasket includes a series of spaced-apart thinned pivot regions and is expanded from an initial relatively closed, material-saving geometry to a second, open geometry dimensioned to be disposed between a top cover and a base of a disk drive. In addition, the transformation from first to second geometries is accomplished without stretching, distorting, buckling or tearing the elongate pivot regions.

US Patent:

44652992, Aug 14, 1984

Filed:

Nov 30, 1982

Appl. No.:

6/445724

Inventors:

Thomas R. Stone - Hayward CA
Roger P. Penzotti - Livermore CA

Assignee:

Paccar Inc. - Bellevue WA

International Classification:

B60G 1700

US Classification:

280714

Abstract:

A vehicle suspension system with load-controlled damping for a vehicle having a leveling valve actuated by changes in the distance between the axles and the frame and connected to air springs and to a damper to provide load control of the damper. The damper has two cylinders, an inner one filled with oil and in which a piston moves, and an outer one with an annular space between them mostly filled with oil. A jounce metering valve passes oil from below the piston into the annular space upon downward movement of the piston, the resistance to the fluid flow being varied by pressure applied by the leveling valve in accordance with vehicle load. A high-speed-jounce blow-off valve passes oil in the same manner in larger amount when actuated by high-velocity downward movement of the piston, the actuation speed depending on the pressure applied by the leveling valve. Similarly a rebound metering valve sends oil through the piston upon its upward movement, and there is a high-speed-rebound blow-off valve for sending additional oil therethrough, and the resistance of the pressure and the actuation velocity of the latter depend on the pressure applied by the leveling valve, which depends on the frame-supported load.

US Patent:

20190049962, Feb 14, 2019

Filed:

Aug 10, 2017

Appl. No.:

15/674384

Inventors:

- San Francisco CA, US
Charles Post - San Francisco CA, US
Randall Shults - San Francisco CA, US
Thomas Stone - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

G05D 1/00
G06T 7/00
B64C 39/02
G01S 17/08

Abstract:

The present solution provides autonomous robotic technologies for industrial inspection that can flexibly scale to meet many different types of industrial inspection. By utilizing the autonomous robotic technologies disclosed herein, increasingly large and complex industrial inspections may be completed in a fraction of the time previously required for inspections of smaller scales.